College Vegetarian Cooking_ Feed Yourself and Your Friends - Megan Carle [54]
Food Trivia:
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg developed cornflakes as a food to satisfy the strict vegan diet of his Seventh Day Adventist faith. He was also a supporter of sexual abstinence, and since he believed that spicy or sweet foods would increase passions, he served cornflakes to the patients at his sanitarium, to lower their sex drives. Hard to believe Kellogg’s didn’t use that one in its advertising.
Cherry Turnovers
Cherry Turnovers
These turnovers are delicious! Plus, they’re quick to make and everyone loves them. When you’re making them, be sure to put only a few cherries and a little bit of sauce in each one; otherwise, they’ll be really hard to close and they’ll leak all over the place. –J
Makes 8 turnovers
Oil or cooking spray
2 cups frozen pitted cherries
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray.
Place the cherries, ¼ cup of the water, and the ¼ cup of sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until it comes to a boil. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and the remaining ¼ cup of water, mix until smooth, then stir into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, or until it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Lay each puff pastry sheet flat and cut into quarters. Spoon some of the cherry mixture into the center of each pastry square. Wet your finger and dampen the entire edge of the puff pastry squares. Fold each square over to form a triangle and press gently to seal the edges. Brush the top with a little water and sprinkle with sugar. Place the turnovers on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Food Trivia:
Cherries, both sweet and sour, originated in eastern Europe and western Asia, and that region still produces most of the cherries in the world. In the United States (also a big cherry-producing nation), sweet cherries are grown mostly in California, Oregon, and Washington; Michigan produces most of our sour cherries.
Pecan Phyllo Spirals
Pecan Phyllo Spirals
We use phyllo dough in this recipe to make a tasty little dessert that is almost like mini baklavas. They’re perfect for parties because you can pick them up easily and they aren’t messy. The only problem is, you’ll have to make lots because they go like hotcakes! –M
Makes 36 spirals
2 cups chopped pecans
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
⅓ cup melted margarine or butter
½ cup honey
¼ cup orange juice
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Combine the pecans, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Unroll the phyllo dough, place on a flat surface, and separate out a stack of 12 sheets, gently lifting them off as a single unit. Cover the 12 sheets of phyllo with barely damp paper towels. (Be sure to cover the phyllo every time you take a sheet or it will dry out.) Return the remaining dough to its packaging, seal tightly, and refrigerate or freeze, depending on how soon you’ll use it. Place a sheet of phyllo on a flat surface and brush with melted margarine. Continue the layering process with sheets of phyllo brushed with margarine until you have 4 phyllo sheets in the stack. Sprinkle one-third of the nut mixture over the phyllo dough, covering the entire surface, then roll the phyllo up tightly lengthwise, and brush with margarine. Place the roll seam side down, cut it into ¾- to 1-inch pieces, and place the rolls flat in an ungreased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Combine the honey and orange juice in a small bowl, stir until well combined, then pour the mixture over the rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Food Trivia:
I love cinnamon … or I thought I did. The name cinnamon refers to cinnamon from a tree grown in Ceylon; however, a related species, Cassia, is also often sold labeled as cinnamon. So even if you